Envelope



(No Model.)

B. R. PROCTER.

. I ENVELOPE. No. 371,217. Patented Oct. 11, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. PROCTER, OF WASH INGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,217, dated October 11, 1687. Application filed January 7, 1886. Serial No. 187,856. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EDWIN R. PROCTER, of Washington Court House, Fayette county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Envelope, of which the following is a specification. \Vhen parties send out circulars, market reports, &c., to other parties through the mails, said circulars, &c., are usually in closed in open-i. 0., unsealed-envelopes,and the ordinary gnnimed-fiap variety of envelope is generally used with the said gummed flap turned inside the envelope proper, the gumline edge resting against the inside face of that ply of the envelope which has on its outside face the usual addressing-surface, and the circulars orsimilar matter being,when thus inclosed, between the ontside-i. e.,ungumn1ed side-ofsaid interned gummed flap and the inside faces of the other three permanently and mutually adherent tlaps. \Vhen the addressee receives such an envelope with such contents thus inclosed, and has drawn out the circulars, &c., thus'inclosed, then the said inturned flap, being within the envelope,has the appearance of being also part of the contents, and it is only after said gummed flap has been withdrawn from the inside of envelope that the addressee will oftentimes feel satisfied that he has withdrawn the entire contents. Then the envelope is thrown away, there being oftentimes a pr'eaddressed smaller envelope inclosed with the circulars, 850., carrying the address of addresser to induce an answer to the circulars or the similar matter inclosed with said smaller envelope. The objects of my invention are to so construct envelopes of the gummed free-flap variety that, first, the inclosed circulars, &c.,can be handily and conspicuously discharged or Withdrawn from the inclosing-envelope in a manner that is assuring to said addressee that he or she has withdrawn the entire contents; second, that the original inclosing-envelope may be used again, thus utilizing the usually unused but wasted gum-line, and saving also theinclosed smaller envelope to the addresser; third, that the said original envelope may be addressed, even preaddressed, in such a way and on such a surface that the addressers name, 810., will be inaccessible to curious parties while the contents are undisturbed; fourth, that the said original envelope will have, if

not preaddressed, at least a fresh face for writing the address,if itis desired to remail it; fifth, to afford integral with my improved envelope blank space large enough to have written upon it the desired answer from addressee solicited by addresser.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows my preferred form of blank. Fig. 2 shows the completed envelope with gumline wrapper-flap extended. Fig. 3 shows said en shows a vertical section through Fig. 4. Fig. 7

7 shows said envelope and contents while addressee is in the act of discharging the contents by withdrawing the wrapper-flap,which may be preaddressed, in which case he or she thus discloses the said address of addresser. Fig. 8 shows said envelope in condition for remailing to addresser, whose name, dad, are shown as having been preaddressed. Fig. 9

shows the other side of said envelope in remailing condition, the dotted lines indicating the address which was on the envelope in the first mailing, but now covered and concealed by the secured wrapper; Fig. 10, the wrapper written on.

Of my improved circular, &c., discharging and returnable envelope, P is the main ply or body portion proper.

a, a are the end or side flaps, and a is the bottom or lower flap, which three flaps are mutually adherent in any customary manner, but preferably as shown; and a" is the top or upper free flap prolonged to about twice the width of the body I? from top to bottom, and of a shape slightly narrowing toward the free end, which has an ordinary gum-line, g, and

adapted to fold, as shown by the dotted lines M, and folding backward or forward on creaseline i, as required in use.

0 is the inclosed contents circulars, &c. My improved contents-discharging and returnable envelope will be preferably sold in form of Fig. 3.

IOO

In use, the said envelope being addressed, the matter desired to be mailed will be inclosed in the said envelope in the lap of inturned wrapper-flap a, as shown in Fig. 6, and mailed. If so desired, the foldfof said wrapper-flap a, next to body proper, P, of envelope, may have the name, &e., of addresser put upon it previous to any use of said envelope, so that whoever may be the addressee may be spared the trouble of having the same to do. Upon the receipt of said env'elope and inelosed contents the said contents are thrown out or discharged upon the desk or table by the addressee by or in the act of withdrawing the wrapper-flap a from envelope by taking the gum-line edge 9 of same between the thumb and finger, which operation of discharge discloses the name, &c., of addresser if the same has been put upon the foldf. If it is then desired by the addressee to remail an answer orsimilarcommunication to the party who has sent him or her said envelope, 850., and to at the same time reuse and remail said envelope, then the gum-line side of said combined discharging and wrapping flap a, which is adapted to be or at least capable of being used as a blank letter-sheet, may be written upon, as shown in Fig. 10, and then the wrapper a, with said writing on the inside, may be wrapped around said envelope and secured by the gum-line in the customary manner, whereupon the new address may be written upon the outside of wrapper a,if said wrapper has not been preaddressed.

Obviously, the wrapper a cangbeiwrapped around its envelope in the opposite way from my preferred way which I have shown, in which case the addressing-surface for remailing will be on the opposite side from that shown, and the gum-line the same, in both cases the gum-line and the remailing-address surface being on sides opposite from each other.

I am aware that it is old and common to combine envelope and lettersheet in one. I therefore disclaim whatever my present device has in common with such devices.

\Vhat I claim as new and useful and of my invention is- A blank for forming an envelope, consisting, essentially, of a body and four tlaps, one of said flaps being prolonged to admit of e11- circling the body portion twice and gummed at its outer edge, the whole constructed in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth. 7

EDWIN R. PROCTER. 1

Attest:

W. J. BLOOMER, D. L. TANZEY. 

